No. 6 seed UCLA men’s soccer (6-5-5, 3-4-3 Big Ten) hasn’t won since a 3-0 victory over Rutgers on Oct. 18. However, the Bruins have also notched four wins against ranked opponents and have tied four top-25 opponents. Despite its recent form, No. 6 seed UCLA will meet No. 3 seed Maryland (8-4-5, 5-3-2) in the Big Ten quarterfinals on Thursday. Daily Bruin Sports’ men’s soccer beat predicts the team’s fortunes in its first-ever conference tournament.

Connor Dullinger
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Big Ten champions

I have always considered myself to be an optimist.

While my father likes to tell me I’m just a delusional fan, I truly believe this team has what it takes to go the distance. I can already see the writing on the wall.

UCLA men’s soccer has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the country this season. There is no doubt that the Bruins have gone invisible at several points this season. But they have also shown flashes that paint them as one of the most complete teams in collegiate soccer.

The Bruins’ depth has been their strongest attribute all season – and it may be the one that carries them to glory. Bench options such as freshman midfielder Tamir Ratoviz, sophomore defender Philip Naef and freshman defender Shakir Nixon have all shown they can rise to the occasion – notching a combined three goals and 12 assists.

UCLA has shown time and again that it lacks a true apex scoring threat, but that may be one of its biggest strengths. With a variety of goal scorers – 11 on the season for its 24 goals – it doesn’t have to rely on someone to play hero.

With an up-and-down season like the Bruins have had, only a deep run in the conference tournament will get them entry into the NCAA tournament.

The postseason reveals a team’s true colors, and the realist in me knows the Bruins are built for success.

Felicia Keller
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Loss in the finals

During this season, the Bruins and coach Ryan Jorden have felt they deserved better results than they picked up.

Whether that’s giving up late goals against Michigan and Penn State, a first-minute goal allowed against Michigan State or a competitive game against then-No. 25 Indiana, UCLA can be better than the sixth-place regular season finish suggests.

The Bruins’ goal-scoring efforts have come from a variety of players, allowing for a plethora of goal-scoring options in the conference tournament. There are 11 goal scorers – and 15 assisters – across their 24 goals this season.

I believe the Bruins can repeat what they’ve done well against Ohio State and others and fix the mistakes that have plagued them in the past.

A win over No. 3 seed Maryland, which UCLA tied in College Park, Maryland, in October, and a win over No. 2 seed Indiana – as retribution for its regular season matchup – will set up UCLA to meet No. 1 seed Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, in the final.

But this time, the game will be away for the Bruins, and without the hometown advantage, in their first-ever Big Ten tournament final, the Bruins will fall short.

Fighting through the ranks to the final should be enough to earn them a spot in the NCAA tournament, though, meaning their season will extend deeper into November.

Dylan Winward
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Loss in the quarterfinals

Soccer teams win or die depending on their ability to control games.

Throughout this season, coach Ryan Jorden has emphasized keeping possession and winning the ball back as means to control the pace of play.

With junior midfielder Tarun Karumanchi and graduate student midfielder Edrey Caceres, it looked as if Jorden finally had the personnel to build off last year’s Pac-12 conference victory. Jorden’s passing style should, in theory, allow the team to see out games.

But the theory has not worked in practice.

Every time the pressure has been on, the Bruins have faltered. When they were ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation’s top-25 coaches poll after two ranked wins in their first three games, they lost 3-1 to an unranked Cal State Fullerton at home.

When they were ranked No. 15 midway through the season, they lost to then-No. 25 Indiana, again at home. Just recently, UCLA lost to an unranked Washington at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Senior Day.

The team’s seeming inability to control games and hold its nerve when it matters most has taken the shine off what was a very promising season. It almost seems like many of the players are still haunted by conceding late last season against Loyola Marymount – having dominated the game – to get knocked out of the NCAA championships.

Given that the Bruins can’t hold their composure in regular season games, the postseason is not going to be pretty.

Sam Mulick
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Loss in the semifinals

Throughout 2024, the Bruins’ greatest pitfall has been putting the ball in the back of the net.

Through 16 games, UCLA has scored just 24 goals while averaging 11.9 shots per game. Redshirt senior forward Jose Contell – the team’s starting striker – has scored just four goals on the season, two of which have been penalties. The Bruins often have no problem keeping possession, but when they need a goal – they have no one to turn to.

UCLA is not without bright spots on the pitch, with Karumanchi continuing a dominant run as a top defensive midfielder in the Big Ten – constantly allowing flexibility within the Bruins’ formation due to his ability to cover all three phases of the pitch.

Elsewhere, Nixon has shown that he is capable of providing an offensive spark when needed, particularly along the right sideline.

However, the Bruins have shown that they are able to step up in the biggest of games – having defeated then-No. 2 Ohio State on Oct. 11 and tied then-No. 3 Denver on Sept. 9. Led by defensive stalwart and team captain senior Pietro Grassi, UCLA will not shy away from its quarterfinal matchup against No. 3 seed Maryland.

When it reaches the semifinal and comes across No. 7 seed Michigan, which I think is poised to upset No. 2 seed Indiana, Big Ten viewers are in for a blockbuster, as the contest is a rematch of a fixture that ended 3-3 in September at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. But ultimately, UCLA will not be able to match the firepower of Michigan – which proved in September that it is always capable of responding to a goal.

UCLA’s recipe for success is not keeping the ball as it does so well, but with a forward, or anyone, stepping up and deciding to put the team’s destiny into their own hands by doing what they’ve struggled to accomplish all season – put the ball in the back of the net.

Chloe Agas
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: Loss in the quarterfinals

Coach Ryan Jorden’s roster looked like a recipe for success at the beginning of the season.

Despite four new graduate additions, including Caceres, defender Nicholas Cavallo, midfielder/forward Sveinn Hauksson and defender Youri Senden back in July, the team’s inconsistency in maintaining momentum and energy still looms.

And the inability to finish off games remains prevalent.

Once ranked as high as No. 6 in the top 25 coaches poll, the Bruins have dipped below top-25 status heading into the postseason. Since a 3-1 loss to Cal State Fullerton, the Bruins have witnessed themselves blunder under immense pressure.

From conceding a goal in the first minute against Michigan State to allowing a goal to slip past sophomore goalkeeper Wyatt Nelson’s gates in its final regular season match in front of a home crowd against Washington on Senior Day, losses continue to linger.

Though there is a spark of hope in the younger and newer end of the roster, including Ratoviz, Nixon and Naef, the team still struggles to maintain balance when the stakes are high. The Bruins have shown time and time again that when the going gets tough, they stumble and ultimately fall.

With the Bruins’ inconsistent defense and their inability to score offensive chances, the fate of the team in the postseason remains uncertain.